Video: One of Gaza's most beautiful neighbourhoods still lies in ruin

Five months on, little has changed in Al-Shejaiya

Palestinian children play on the rubble of destroyed building bearing graffiti in Gaza City's Al-Shejaiya suburb in December, 2014. (MOHAMMED ABED | AFP | Getty Images)

According to some locals, Gaza City's eastern suburb of Al-Shejaiya had some of the most beautiful neighbourhoods.

That all changed five months ago with the war in the region, which saw 2,200 Palestinians killed and over half a million displaced, according to the UN.

Shelter Cluster, an NGO chaired by the Norwegian Refugee Council with partners of the UN and the Red Cross, said that at least 17,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged during the conflict.

Aerial footage of the Al-Shejaiya suburb shows that five months on, little has changed: the area is still a sea of rubble and twisted metal. A smattering of greenery and trees can be seen dotted about, but ultimately concrete shells reign the landscape.

Al-Shejaiya was particularly hard-hit during the conflict, with 72 people killed and over 200 injured in a single day in late July.

Since last summer's war, Gaza remains in ruins, with little or no reconstruction, a continuing blockade, unemployment rising towards 70 per cent and a desperate and angry population.

The footage was shot by Al Jazeera, and one resident, Issam Eleiwa, told the channel that every morning locals gather to remember the old Al-Shejaiya

"This is a very dear area," he said. "It's where we were born. It's our home... It was all trees, it used to look fancy.

"One day we just woke up and found ourselves living between the rubble."